


Splash Zone

by Stratagem



Series: Lion Cub [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dinner Party, F/M, Family Fluff, Fountain Diving, Gen, Space Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-18 13:27:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11875464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stratagem/pseuds/Stratagem
Summary: It was supposed to be a dinner party but it becomes a pool party thanks to a certain four-year-old Altean-Human kiddo who won't get out of the fancy fountain. Voltron is never getting invited to this dignitary's house again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron!
> 
> A/N: Haha, political dinner parties and attempts to avoid them will probably become a recurring theme in this series… Shiro is always trying to escape them, but he can't win. Emi is four years old in this one, and dinner parties are lost on her.

"I volunteer to babysit."

"No one needs to babysit because Emi's going, and besides, you like parties, Lance," Allura said, not looking up from where she was doing Emi's hair. Her fingers were busy putting her daughter's hair into a simple braid while the four-year-old played with one of her stuffed lions. Allura had to be quick since getting Emi to sit still long enough for any kind of hair styling was a nearly impossible feat.

"Not this time," the blue paladin grumbled. He was laying on the rug in the middle of Shiro and Allura's sitting room, wrinkling his new outfit.

All of them were wearing clothes that had been given to them by the Grand Ister, the leader of the northern hemisphere of Teani. It was a small planet, but it wanted entrance into the ever-growing coalition that was still freeing obscure and random planets from the remnants of Galra rule. Tomorrow they would start true diplomatic talks, but tonight was supposed to be a more relaxed event.

However, the northern Te were not known for being the most fun-loving and traditionally charismatic of people.

"It's going to be beyond boring. Epic levels of boring. It's cruel to force Emi to go."

"The Grand Ister's children are going to be there, too," Allura said. In front of her, Emi pranced her green lion toy across the table and made it tackle a hairbrush.

"And I bet they're just as boring as their parents."

The Te of the northern hemisphere had a severely stern culture. Most of them took everything seriously and literally, so jokes, sarcasm and most witty comebacks were utterly lost on them. Allura wasn't particularly looking forward to the dinner party either, but she had to stay positive in order to avoid potential full-scale rebellion from the paladins. Also, respecting and trying to understand other cultures was important...

"Just because we disagree on what's humorous doesn't mean they're completely dull," Allura replied.

"They don't even have music here," Lance said, "Who doesn't have music?"

Well… "How about you set up a cultural exchange, if you're that concerned about it."

"What are they bringing to this exchange? The super engaging sport of watching paint dry?"

"We can paint?" Emi asked, perking up.

"Let's do that tomorrow," Allura said.

She finished Emi's braid and started swiftly tucking shimmering white and pink flowers into her hair. The flowers had also been a gift from the Te. What they lacked in charisma, the Te made up for it in generosity. Allura managed to stick a dozen blooms in Emi's white-streaked black hair before the four-year-old reached her limit for staying in one place.

Emi sprang down from her chair and raced over to Lance, trailing the long sleeves of the Te dress. The outfit had a very Medieval meets cyberpunk feel to it.

She flung herself into Lance's lap and put her hands on his shoulders, an impish glint in her blue eyes. "Wanna paint?"

"Nice try," Lance said, poking her forehead gently.

It had become clear over the past few weeks that Emi had figured out that asking everyone the same question meant that sometimes someone would say yes after everyone else said no. For instance, Shiro would tell Emi, no, she couldn't have a third Reese's cup, but when she ran across the castle and asked Pidge, she got the answer she wanted. It had forced the adults to adopt a system where whenever someone told Emi no, they had to make an all-call over the comm system so everyone was on the same page when it came to the youngest crew member.

"Emi, don't ask Lance when I just told you no," Allura said, glancing at her daughter.

"Yes, Mumma." Emi nodded, somewhat paying attention. She plucked at an elegant button on collar of Lance's vest and scrunched her nose up when it didn't come off. Maybe the Te weren't terribly fun-loving in general, but their clothes were works of art. That was one of their places where creativity flourished.

Allura put finishing touches on her own look before turning around, clasping her hands together. "Now let's put on a brave face and go to this party."

"You heard your mom, Squeaker," Lance said, lifting Emi up to her feet.

"I was talking to you," Allura said, smirking at the reluctant blue paladin.

"Right…"

With Emi's hand in hers, Allura headed to the Black Lion's hangar. Shiro had gotten ready for the party faster than the two of them and decided to spend his extra time in the hangar, working on answering messages while spending a little time with his lion.

He looked up from his tablet as Allura and Emi walked in. "Look, Black, my two favorite ladies are exceptionally beautiful tonight."

"And our favorite handsome knight is hard at work, yet again," Allura said, smiling at him.

He climbed down from the Black Lion's massive paw and headed over to them, sliding an arm around Allura's waist. Leaning in, he kissed her, lingering to press his forehead against hers. "Seriously, Allura, you're breathtaking."

"Thank you," she said, stealing another kiss. "You're rather stunning yourself."

Emi started to skip off in Black's direction, but Shiro scooped her up and propped her on his hip. "Where do you think you're going?"

She reached past him, stretching her arm out toward Black. "Wanna fly."

"We're about to," he said, grinning at her.

"Can we go now?" Emi said, her eyes plaintive and hopeful. "No later. Now?"

Shiro laughed and kissed her cheek. "Yes, now." He held out his free arm to Allura. "If I may escort you, your majesty?"

"You may, my paladin." A playful smile tugged at Allura's lips as she slipped her arm through his.

They headed into Black's cockpit, where Shiro sat down in the pilot's seat and Allura stood beside him. While Black came online, Emi twirled, holding her hands above her head, all energy and activity. She grabbed Allura's hand and spun like a tiny ballerina, and Allura joined in, swaying with her until the Lion took off. Emi pulled away and dove under the front console, where she could press her nose to the screen that reflected the stars outside.

"All right, team, let's go," Shiro said over the comms as Black did a slow loop around the castle ship.

"You took off without us?" Hunk asked as his face appeared on the screen.

"Well, someone with big blue eyes wanted to go flying," Shiro said. Below the console, Emi giggled.

"Shiro, you've got learn how to say no to Allura," Lance said over the comms, "Don't always succumb to the Altean pouty face."

"I do believe you're the one with the pouting face, Lance," Allura said, "You showed an excellent example of it just a little while ago."

"Hey, no one wants to go to this. We're all pouting on the inside."

"I sort of want to go," Pidge put in. Outside, the Green Lion launched from its tower and fell in beside the Black Lion. "They have cool robots. I want one."

"No stealing, Pidge," Shiro said. All he got back from Pidge was wicked grin.

"Let's let Pidge go, and she can report back to everyone else," Hunk said as the Yellow Lion burst out of the castle. Instead of joining Black and Green, he held Yellow in a hover above the castle's central tower.

"I second Hunk's motion," Lance said.

"We're all going," Allura said, her voice steeled with exasperated finality, "So let's stop debating the point. And, if I must remind you, Coran and Keith are waiting for us."

The two of them had spent the day down on Teani. The Te had a very advanced, unique swordsmithing technique, which Keith was automatically enamored with. No one else had really wanted to spend the afternoon in a smithy, but Coran had been curious enough to volunteer, as long as Keith agreed to going to museums in the morning.

"Cran and Uncle Keef?" Emi said, appearing from under the console. She sprang to her feet and nearly tripped over one of the long sleeves of her dress. Shiro caught her arm and steadied her, lifting her so she could sit in his lap.

"We're heading that way as soon as Lance gets moving," Shiro said, glancing at the screen showing the blue paladin.

"Keith probably bought Emi a knife or something," Lance said as Blue came online and sprang out of the castle, "So she can be all stabby-stab, too."

"Well, she is a little badass," Pidge said.

"Language," Hunk scolded as the four lions dove for the planet's surface.

Allura sighed, wondering exactly how many curse words in various languages Emi was going to pick up as she grew. Knowing the human penchant for memorizing swear words, she was certain Emi would have a colorful vocabulary.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Fountains are way better than dinner parties anyways…

The Te ate silently.

Eating utensils tinked and clicked as they struck each other and the plates, but no one spoke.

It was considered rude to talk during meals since chefs were held in very high regard in the northern Te society. Any talking meant that you were not fully enjoying the food and thought poorly of the chef and therefore the host. The Te understood that their guests had very different customs and had offered to allow conversation for the dinner, but Coran jumped in and said that they would be just fine following Te etiquette. In any case, their hosts were understanding and accepted that there would be a few slip-ups throughout the evening.

With no music, the silence stretched endlessly, grating on the humans and Alteans who found it more than a little awkward. Lance looked like he was about to pop with conversation, anything to fill the silent void. Beside him, Coran was keeping him in line by shooting him 'the Look,' something Coran had developed to keep order during diplomatic events.

No one really wanted to get the Look from Coran.

Keith and Pidge kept exchanging glances, both of them biting back a flurry of questions about their respective interests. Every time one of the robotic waiters delivered a new plate to the table, Pidge's eyes bulged and her face would squish with the effort to hold back a slew of techno-based enthusiasm.

Hunk would open his mouth to speak to the Te around him and then quickly turn his attention back to his plate before he accidentally said something.

Across the table from each other, Shiro and Allura spoke with their eyes, holding a conversation without saying a word. Out of the two of them, Shiro was handling the silence better than Allura, mainly because she kept almost laughing at Shiro's expressions.

Every time the Te brought out one of their intricate dishes, he would eye it warily, wondering how it was supposed to be eaten. Or he would stare since the food looked more like art than something edible. He went wide-eyed when he reached out to touch a shimmering globe and it exploded against his finger. After that, he stopped experimenting and watched what the Te did before attempting to eat.

While they were enjoying the dinner the best they could, both Shiro and Allura kept thinking about their daughter. Young children were exempt from having to be completely quiet, but they were also sequestered off on their own at an extreme version of a kids table. Emi had been whisked away with the other children before the adults went into the dining hall. She hadn't seemed too upset about being separated, though she had given her family an uncertain look before following the others. Allura and Shiro had questioned it more than she had, but they had reluctantly agreed when the Grand Ister explained she wouldn't be expected to stay so quiet during the meal.

After the last dish was taken away, the head chef walked into the room. The Te rose from their chairs as one and bowed to the chef, the Voltron crew copying them. The head chef bowed back and then the dinner party moved from the dining hall to the massive indoor garden adjacent to the room.

Finally everyone was allowed to talk, and the paladins quickly filled the room with conversation. Hunk wanted to speak to someone, anyone, from the kitchens while Pidge hunted down one of the serving robots. The Te weren't as talkative as the paladins and seemed slightly overwhelmed by the various and multiple topics that were brought up at one time.

Lance eventually wandered away from the group, drawn to the huge fountain at the center of the garden. It was tall and complicated though still visually appealing, and water flowed from various points on the statue. Glancing around, he stepped up onto the edge of the fountain and started walking around it, toying with the idea of taking a boot off and sticking his foot in the water.

He jumped down at the sound of people coming toward the fountain and a moment later, something small and soft collided with his leg. Emi hugged him as the other children and a pair of caretakers stepped into the fountain square.

"She ran ahead of us," the caretaker said, clearly embarrassed that Emi had escaped.

"It's all right," Lance said, grinning, "I'll keep an eye on her."

Once they were gone, Lance pried Emi off his leg and sat down on the edge of the fountain. "Did you have fun?"

She shook her head and stuck out her tongue. "They kept telling me be more quieter."

"Yeah, me too," he said, thinking of Coran and his Look.

"And they don't have dessert," she said, like it was the most tragic thing in the universe. "No ice cream." Climbing up into the fountain's edge, she leaned on Lance's shoulder and peered into the water. "Pretty."

"We should go swimming and have ice cream when we get home," Lance said, "We've definitely earned it."

"Yes!" Emi bounced before she stepped away from him, still looking at the water. "I like swimming."

Lance recognized that tone. Determination with a sharp edge of feistiness. Oh, no, not good. "Not now, though, right? Let's go swimming later, at the castle."

"No, now," Emi said, lifting her chin as if she was making a royal decree.

"Emi, no—" Lance swiped at her, but she jumped, landing up to her waist in the water.

A peal of laughter broke out of her as she splashed at him, dousing his face and outfit.

"Emi Shirogane, get over here right now," Lance said sternly as water dripped off his nose, "You're in serious time-out territory." She was out of reach now, no matter how far he stretched. If he wanted to get her, he would have to go in after her.

She stopped and looked at him, and he could practically see a war going on in her mind. Obey him and get out of the water or ignore him and enjoy herself? He saw stubbornness and defiance bloom on her tiny face before she darted over to stand under one of the fountainheads, immediately getting drenched.

"All right, Squeaker, I hate to do this, but you're getting a time-out and losing dessert privileges." Lance held out a hand, hoping she would feel properly chastised and regret her decision.

It didn't work. Emi sat down under the fountain spray and then flopped backward to float.

"Emi, sit up," Lance said, already pulling his boots up, "Now, please." That dress she was wearing was too weighty for floating, and he was worried she would go under. She was a good swimmer, but he wasn't taking any chances.

At least this time she listened to him. Sitting up, she splashed at the water and grinned. "You swimming too, Lance?"

"No, if I go in, I'm getting you and getting out. So please get out of there," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and trying out a disappointed look.

She ignored him and kicked her legs, sending water everywhere.

Sighing, Lance crashed into the fountain and headed for the four-year-old, but when she saw him coming, she got up and ran around the fountain. She tripped and he lunged for her, trying to nab her, but his foot slid out from under him. He wound up on his rear, sitting in the water. Emi climbed to her feet, dripping and giggling just out of reach again.

"I'm pretty sure that's not meant for swimming."

Pidge stood at the edge of the fountain with a huge grin on her face and her cell in her hand. "Smile."

Emi beamed while Lance looked exasperated. "You could give me a hand here."

"I thought you were having fun," Pidge said, pocketing her cell, "Emi sure is."

"No kidding," Lance said, standing up. "She won't get out of the water, so I had to go in after her."

"Oh, you just _had to_ ," Pidge teased, "Like you didn't want to."

Lance put his hands on his hips. "Are you going to help me or not?"

She looked over at Emi and lifted her eyebrows. "Wanna get out of the water, Mouse?"

"Nope!"

Pidge shrugged. "I tried."

Lance stared at her then launched himself out of the water, startling the smaller paladin. She started to back up, but it was too late. Lance wrapped his arms around her and started dragging her toward the fountain. "You're going to help me with the kid, Pidge."

"No, no way, you're going to get us in trouble! Allura and Shiro are going to murder us." She shoved at his arms and tried to squirm away, letting out a wordless shout.

Lance plucked her cell from her pocket and tossed it into a nearby bush to keep it safe before he chunked her into the fountain. Pidge hit the water with a shriek, and on the other side of the fountain, Emi couldn't stop laughing.

Pidge erupted from the water and latched onto Lance's legs, dragging him down. Spiteful, she wrestled him while Emi sat on the edge of the fountain and kicked her legs back and forth.

She was about to jump back in when hands caught her and pulled her off the fountain.

"What's going on?" Hunk asked, setting Emi on the ground, "Lance? Pidge! Come on, guys, the Te aren't going to like this…"

"I'm going to kill him!"

"She's trying to drown me! I didn't do anything, by the way."

"Why are you so wet?" Keith knelt down by Emi, his eyes narrowed at her.

She didn't look the least bit embarrassed. "Swimming."

Hunk stepped up to the side of the fountain. "Get out of there right now. That's not how you use a fountain."

Lance and Pidge paused their battle to glance at each other.

Poor Hunk didn't even see it coming.

By the time Allura, Shiro, and Coran followed the screams and shouts to the middle of the garden, there were three paladins in the water, one soaked paladin yelling from the side, and one small four-year-old trying wriggle out of Keith's arms to get back in the fountain.

Allura put her face in her hands while Shiro tried so very hard not to laugh.

Coran, however, was far more willing to start giving an impromptu lecture on decorum and public relations even though no one was listening.

The Grand Ister of northern Te decided that from then on, it was best if dinner parties were held on the castle ship instead of Teani.


End file.
